Does the da Vinci® Surgical Robot Put Patients’ Health at Risk?

Fifteen years ago, many medical experts believed the da Vinci® surgical robot was going to be the next great advancement in surgical technology, boasting the ability to perform minimally invasive procedures; however, numerous reports of complications have arisen in the wake of procedures utilizing the device, leaving many to question its safety.

The da Vinci surgical robot allows doctors to sit at a computer screen that shows a magnified view of the surgical location and manipulate controls that operate the machine’s robotic arms that are performing a medical procedure. The problem is, mistakes are too common of an occurrence when the device is used.

Data from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration shows that in the span of a single year, the number of reported medical errors that were made using the da Vinci surgical robot increased by 34 percent. Other studies have also shown an increased chance of mistakes when using the device.

This leaves citizens and medical professionals alike wondering what the cause of so many of these mistakes could be. An article released by Healthline tends to point to the doctors operating the device, rather than the system itself, as the reason mistakes occur.

Regardless of how a medical error occurred, the Terre Haute personal injury attorneys with Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin want you to know that help is available if you’ve been the victim of a mistake while undergoing a procedure utilizing the da Vinci surgical robot. We are available to answer your legal questions at any time by calling (800) 477-7315.